John Muir Trail Itinerary: 18 Days, Permits and Resupply

Route line: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), simplified. Elevations: USGS 3D Elevation Program (public domain).

1. 

   1

   Day 1

   Day 1: Happy Isles to the slopes above Little Yosemite Valley

   1Happy Isles→to2Sunrise High Sierra Camp area

   Distance

   13.2 mi 21.3 km

   Up

   5,740 ft 1,749 m

   Down

   470 ft 143 m

   Climb computed from USGS 3D Elevation Program (public domain), not an official figure.

   The first day is a long climb out of the Valley. The line passes Little Yosemite Valley campground early in the day. On a Happy Isles to Past LYV permit you may not spend the first night there, so you carry on to camp in the direction of Sunrise High Sierra Camp. Within a mile (1.6 km) of the five High Sierra Camps you must use a designated campground, so ask the wilderness center which one your permit allows.

   Sleep

   Camp named on your permit near Sunrise High Sierra Camp · Backcountry campsite

   Water

   Sunrise Creek and smaller streams are mapped along the climb; small ones can dry out late in the season.Reported Oct 2026, verify before you go

   Signal

   Cell phones get no reception in most of the wilderness (NPS).Reported Oct 2026, verify before you go

   Show day 1 on the map

   Photo: Always Shooting, CC BY 2.0

2. 2

   Day 2

   Day 2: Past Cathedral Pass to Tuolumne Meadows

   2Sunrise High Sierra Camp area→to3Tuolumne Meadows Backpackers Campground

   Distance

   9.4 mi 15.1 km

   Up

   990 ft 301 m

   Down

   1,600 ft 487 m

   Climb computed from USGS 3D Elevation Program (public domain), not an official figure.

   Cathedral Pass comes early in the day. Tuolumne Meadows is the first food stop: the post office takes packages mailed c/o General Delivery from about mid-June to mid-September, and the store is next door. A wilderness permit holder may stay one night in the Tuolumne backpackers' campground when it is open, typically mid-July to late September. When Tuolumne Meadows Campground is closed, thru hikers must camp at least 4 trail miles (6.4 km) from Tuolumne Meadows, and travel by bus or car at any point during the trip voids the permit.

   Sleep

   Tuolumne Meadows Backpackers Campground · Campground

   Water

   Upper Cathedral Lake is mapped about 0.2 mile (0.3 km) off the trail near Cathedral Pass.Reported Oct 2026, verify before you go

   Show day 2 on the map
3. 

   3

   Day 3

   Day 3: Up Lyell Canyon

   3Tuolumne Meadows Backpackers Campground→to4Lyell Canyon

   Distance

   5.5 mi 8.8 km

   Up

   250 ft 75 m

   Down

   50 ft 16 m

   Climb computed from USGS 3D Elevation Program (public domain), not an official figure.

   A short, easy day on purpose. It puts you at the foot of Donohue Pass with a full day ahead. The next leg is the first real test of the trip.

   Sleep

   Lyell Canyon · Backcountry campsite

   Water

   The Lyell Fork is mapped along the canyon floor.Reported Oct 2026, verify before you go

   Show day 3 on the map

   Photo: Kaitymh, CC BY-SA 4.0

4. 

   4

   Day 4

   Day 4: Over Donohue Pass to Thousand Island Lake

   4Lyell Canyon→to5Thousand Island Lake

   Distance

   13.4 mi 21.6 km

   Up

   2,830 ft 864 m

   Down

   1,580 ft 481 m

   Climb computed from USGS 3D Elevation Program (public domain), not an official figure.

   Donohue Pass, at 11,056 feet (3,370 m), is the highest point of the Pacific Crest Trail in Yosemite and sits on the park's southern border. This is where the 45-a-day exit quota applies: the permit you picked up says the exit date. Past the pass you enter the Inyo National Forest and drop toward Island Pass. Thousand Island Lake lies a short way off the line, so factor in the walk.

   Sleep

   Thousand Island Lake · Backcountry campsite

   Water

   Thousand Island Lake at the camp.Reported Oct 2026, verify before you go

   Show day 4 on the map

   Photo: Peretz Partensky, CC BY-SA 2.0

5. 

   5

   Day 5

   Day 5: Garnet Lake, Devils Postpile and Reds Meadow

   5Thousand Island Lake→to6Reds Meadow Campground

   Distance

   16.2 mi 26.0 km

   Up

   1,950 ft 594 m

   Down

   4,530 ft 1,380 m

   Climb computed from USGS 3D Elevation Program (public domain), not an official figure.

   A long day that ends at the first resupply. Reds Meadow Resort sits less than a quarter mile (0.4 km) off the trail, with a general store, a cafe, a shower house, and hold-for-hiker packages. For a flat fee the resort fetches your package from the Mammoth Lakes post office, or you can drop one off yourself at $3 a day, and it asks for packages to arrive two weeks before you do. The resort says campsites are available nearby; confirm which campground is open and has space. The Conservancy calls it the standard first resupply for southbound hikers, about 60 miles (97 km) in by its count. The Devils Postpile page lists the Reds Meadow Road as open June 13 to October 30 in 2026.

   Sleep

   Reds Meadow Campground · Campground

   Water

   Shadow Lake and Rosalie Lake are mapped within about 0.2 mile (0.3 km) of the trail.Reported Oct 2026, verify before you go

   Show day 5 on the map

   Photo: claralieu, CC BY 2.0

6. 6

   Day 6

   Day 6: To Purple Lake

   6Reds Meadow Campground→to7Purple Lake

   Distance

   13.5 mi 21.8 km

   Up

   3,350 ft 1,020 m

   Down

   940 ft 288 m

   Climb computed from USGS 3D Elevation Program (public domain), not an official figure.

   You leave the valley and the services behind for the next stretch. Silver Pass comes the next day.

   Sleep

   Purple Lake · Backcountry campsite

   Water

   Purple Lake at the camp, about 0.2 mile (0.3 km) from the line.Reported Oct 2026, verify before you go

   Show day 6 on the map
7. 7

   Day 7

   Day 7: Silver Pass to Pocket Meadow

   7Purple Lake→to8Pocket Meadow

   Distance

   12.7 mi 20.4 km

   Up

   2,440 ft 744 m

   Down

   3,470 ft 1,058 m

   Climb computed from USGS 3D Elevation Program (public domain), not an official figure.

   The line passes Lake Virginia, Tully Hole and Silver Pass before dropping into the Mono Creek drainage. Pocket Meadow is a mapped place on the line, not a listed campsite, so pick a legal site on the day. Start early.

   Sleep

   Pocket Meadow · Backcountry campsite

   Water

   Lake Virginia and Silver Pass Lake are mapped near the trail.Reported Oct 2026, verify before you go

   Show day 7 on the map
8. 8

   Day 8

   Day 8: Mono Creek, Bear Creek and Marie Lake

   8Pocket Meadow→to9Marie Lake

   Distance

   15.0 mi 24.1 km

   Up

   3,740 ft 1,140 m

   Down

   2,070 ft 631 m

   Climb computed from USGS 3D Elevation Program (public domain), not an official figure.

   The detour to Vermilion Valley Resort leaves the trail near Mono Creek and is 4.5 miles (7.2 km) by the Conservancy's count; a ferry across Lake Thomas A Edison can shorten it when it runs. The resort's own page showed it closed for the season on October 31, 2026, with the ferry reported as not operating in 2026 and resupply orders not being accepted; confirm its next season dates before you send a bucket. The line then crosses the Bear Creek drainage before climbing to Marie Lake.

   Sleep

   Marie Lake · Backcountry campsite

   Water

   Bear Creek and its forks are mapped along the leg; Marie Lake at the camp.Reported Oct 2026, verify before you go

   Show day 8 on the map
9. 9

   Day 9

   Day 9: Selden Pass and Muir Trail Ranch

   9Marie Lake→to10Evolution Meadow

   Distance

   16.3 mi 26.2 km

   Up

   1,800 ft 550 m

   Down

   3,150 ft 960 m

   Climb computed from USGS 3D Elevation Program (public domain), not an official figure.

   Selden Pass is just above Marie Lake, then the trail drops past Sallie Keyes Lakes toward the ranch. The Conservancy puts Muir Trail Ranch less than a mile (1.6 km) off the trail, with a small store of camping supplies and no food. It works as a resupply point by bucket: its page says the service costs $115, buckets go by USPS Priority Mail at least three weeks before you arrive, and the last day for 2026 was October 1. Its site said resupply orders were closed for 2026 ("see you next year"), so check its resupply page again before you plan around it. Evolution Meadow is a mapped stop, not a listed campsite, so pick a legal site on the day. The Conservancy counts it at mile 106 on its itinerary.

   Sleep

   Evolution Meadow · Backcountry campsite

   Water

   Sallie Keyes Lakes and Heart Lake are mapped near the trail.Reported Oct 2026, verify before you go

   Show day 9 on the map
10. 

    10

    Day 10

    Day 10: Evolution Valley to Evolution Lake

    10Evolution Meadow→to11Evolution Lake

    Distance

    6.7 mi 10.8 km

    Up

    1,710 ft 521 m

    Down

    40 ft 12 m

    Climb computed from USGS 3D Elevation Program (public domain), not an official figure.

    A short day on purpose. The valley is one of the long, gentle stretches of the trail, and the next day crosses Muir Pass, so a camp at the foot of it saves a long morning.

    Sleep

    Evolution Lake · Backcountry campsite

    Water

    Evolution Lake at the camp.Reported Oct 2026, verify before you go

    Show day 10 on the map

    Photo: Jeff P from Berkeley, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0

11. 

    11

    Day 11

    Day 11: Over Muir Pass to Big Pete Meadow

    11Evolution Lake→to12Big Pete Meadow

    Distance

    11.2 mi 18.1 km

    Up

    1,120 ft 341 m

    Down

    2,770 ft 845 m

    Climb computed from USGS 3D Elevation Program (public domain), not an official figure.

    You pass Sapphire Lake, then Wanda Lake, then reach Muir Pass and descend into Le Conte Canyon. Muir Pass is high open ground, so the park's noon rule for storms applies: be over early.

    Sleep

    Big Pete Meadow · Backcountry campsite

    Water

    Sapphire, Wanda and Helen Lakes are mapped near the pass.Reported Oct 2026, verify before you go

    Show day 11 on the map

    Photo: trailkrum, CC BY-SA 2.0

12. 12

    Day 12

    Day 12: Palisade Creek to Upper Palisade Lake

    12Big Pete Meadow→to13Upper Palisade Lake

    Distance

    13.5 mi 21.7 km

    Up

    2,840 ft 867 m

    Down

    1,240 ft 379 m

    Climb computed from USGS 3D Elevation Program (public domain), not an official figure.

    You follow Palisade Creek up and out of the canyon. The camp is at the foot of Mather Pass, so the morning starts with the climb.

    Sleep

    Upper Palisade Lake · Backcountry campsite

    Water

    Palisade Creek is mapped beside the trail for much of the day; Upper Palisade Lake at the camp.Reported Oct 2026, verify before you go

    Show day 12 on the map
13. 

    13

    Day 13

    Day 13: Mather Pass to Lake Marjorie

    13Upper Palisade Lake→to14Lake Marjorie

    Distance

    10.9 mi 17.5 km

    Up

    2,340 ft 713 m

    Down

    2,040 ft 622 m

    Climb computed from USGS 3D Elevation Program (public domain), not an official figure.

    Mather Pass is the day's work; the trail then crosses the high basin to Lake Marjorie, just short of Pinchot Pass. A ranger station is mapped near the trail on the way.

    Sleep

    Lake Marjorie · Backcountry campsite

    Water

    Lake Marjorie at the camp.Reported Oct 2026, verify before you go

    Show day 13 on the map

    Photo: David Bakken, CC BY-SA 2.0

14. 

    14

    Day 14

    Day 14: Pinchot Pass and Woods Creek to Rae Lakes

    14Lake Marjorie→to15Rae Lakes Ranger Station

    Distance

    15.0 mi 24.2 km

    Up

    2,940 ft 896 m

    Down

    3,510 ft 1,070 m

    Climb computed from USGS 3D Elevation Program (public domain), not an official figure.

    A long day. Pinchot Pass is first, then a long descent to the Woods Creek crossing, then a climb into the Rae Lakes basin.

    Sleep

    Rae Lakes · Backcountry campsite

    Water

    Woods Creek and South Fork Woods Creek along the way.Reported Oct 2026, verify before you go

    Show day 14 on the map

    Photo: Peretz Partensky from San Francisco, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0

15. 15

    Day 15

    Day 15: Glen Pass to Vidette Meadow

    15Rae Lakes Ranger Station→to16Vidette Meadow

    Distance

    7.1 mi 11.5 km

    Up

    1,530 ft 465 m

    Down

    2,570 ft 784 m

    Climb computed from USGS 3D Elevation Program (public domain), not an official figure.

    A short day on purpose, to leave the next one free. Glen Pass is the only pass today. The Kearsarge Pass trail leaves the JMT near here, about 6.6 miles (10.6 km) to Onion Valley, and the Conservancy lists it as the usual exit for a last resupply on the south half. Onion Valley is still nearly 20 miles (32 km) from Independence, so arrange a ride or a package ahead of time.

    Sleep

    Vidette Meadow · Backcountry campsite

    Water

    Dollar Lake and Bubbs Creek are mapped near the trail.Reported Oct 2026, verify before you go

    Show day 15 on the map
16. 

    16

    Day 16

    Day 16: Forester Pass to Tyndall Creek

    16Vidette Meadow→to17Tyndall Creek Ranger Station

    Distance

    13.4 mi 21.5 km

    Up

    3,800 ft 1,157 m

    Down

    2,220 ft 678 m

    Climb computed from USGS 3D Elevation Program (public domain), not an official figure.

    Forester Pass, at 13,100 feet (3,993 m), is the highest pass on the JMT and the boundary between Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks. This is the day to protect: leave early and be over before noon. Tyndall Creek is a mapped stop, not a listed campsite, so pick a legal site on the day.

    Sleep

    Tyndall Creek · Backcountry campsite

    Water

    Bubbs Creek early; Tyndall Creek at the camp.Reported Oct 2026, verify before you go

    Show day 16 on the map

    Photo: Dcrjsr, CC BY 3.0

17. 17

    Day 17

    Day 17: Crabtree Meadow to Guitar Lake

    17Tyndall Creek Ranger Station→to18Guitar Lake

    Distance

    10.6 mi 17.1 km

    Up

    1,910 ft 582 m

    Down

    1,510 ft 460 m

    Climb computed from USGS 3D Elevation Program (public domain), not an official figure.

    The line crosses Bighorn Plateau, passes Wright and Wallace Creeks and drops to Crabtree Meadow, where a ranger station is mapped. Guitar Lake is the last camp before the summit. In the Mount Whitney Zone you pack out solid human waste in a kit (a WAG bag).

    Sleep

    Guitar Lake · Backcountry campsite

    Water

    Wright and Wallace Creeks are mapped along the leg; Guitar Lake at the camp.Reported Oct 2026, verify before you go

    Show day 17 on the map
18. 18

    Day 18

    Day 18: Mount Whitney summit

    18Guitar Lake→to19Mount Whitney summit

    Distance

    4.8 mi 7.7 km

    Up

    3,050 ft 930 m

    Down

    50 ft 14 m

    Climb computed from USGS 3D Elevation Program (public domain), not an official figure.

    The line ends on the summit at 14,505 feet (4,421 m), the highest point of the trip. Most hikers then continue down about 11 miles (18 km) to Whitney Portal the same day, which makes this roughly a 16-mile (26 km) day, and the Mount Whitney Zone has its own waste rule: pack out solid human waste in a kit (a WAG bag). Trail Camp is a mapped campsite below Trail Crest.

    Water

    Guitar Lake at the start; check where you can refill before Trail Crest.Reported Oct 2026, verify before you go

    Show day 18 on the map

Permits

Safety

• Afternoon thunderstorms are frequent in the Sierra in summer, with lightning on high open ground. The park says to plan to be over passes and away from high open areas by noon. The trail crosses ten passes, so start early and make the pass the first job of the day.

• Snow can sit on the passes well into July after a wet winter, and in a heavy year some patches do not melt out before the first fall snow in September. Snow bridges over streams can be thin without looking it. Read the Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings Canyon, and Inyo conditions pages for the passes you will cross, and be ready to change dates.

• Stream crossings are hardest in spring and early summer, when snowmelt makes the water fast and very cold. Cross in a wide, shallow spot, never above rapids, facing upstream with your waist strap unbuckled. If a crossing looks wrong, do not force it.

• A bear canister is required throughout Yosemite, hanging food is not allowed, and the rule has no exception for long-distance hikers. Everything with a scent goes in: food, toothpaste, soap. You can rent a canister at any Yosemite wilderness permit station. Size it for your longest stretch between resupplies.

• All water and melted snow must be treated. The park names giardia as the risk: boil it, use an iodine-based purifier or a filter rated for giardia.

• Cell phones get no reception in most of the wilderness, and rangers do not track overdue hikers. Tell someone your exit date and where you are due, and decide in advance when they should call for help.

• Fire rules and closures change week to week. Trails in Yosemite can be closed for rock fall, snow, ice or fire, and the park had entered its seasonal fire restrictions when this was checked. Campfires are prohibited above 9,600 feet (2,926 m), and at the High Sierra Camps they are allowed only in the communal fire rings; the free California Campfire Permit is required on federal land for open fires and portable stoves. Check the conditions page for every unit you cross, ask a ranger about campfires, and keep a way out by road if a section closes.

• Most of the trail is high, and Forester Pass and Mount Whitney are above 13,000 feet (3,962 m). Starting at Happy Isles lets you climb gradually. Drink more and go slower than feels necessary, and if you feel unwell at altitude and cannot tell how serious it is, descend to a lower elevation.

John Muir Trail Itinerary: FAQ